Dear Community Friends,
We will introduce the 2024 municipal budget at our May 13 township committee meeting, and this budget will be introduced with no local tax increase. That’s right, the township committee and I are thrilled to announce that we will once again not raise property taxes at the municipal level.
Our 2021, 2022 and now our 2024 fiscal budgets have all been without tax increases, and last year in 2023 there was a very minimal increase to basically just pay our bills. There was absolutely no fluff in last year’s township budget, therefore having little to no significant impact on property taxes from a local standpoint.
For further clarification, your cumulative property tax bills are prepared and distributed by the local tax collector of our municipality. Your municipal taxes are the only taxes we govern at the township committee level, and these taxes equate to about 20% of your overall tax bill. 53% of your bill is school taxes governed by the Mantua and Clearview Board of Educations. 23% is county taxes governed by the Gloucester County Commissioners, and 3% is fire district taxes governed by the Board of Commissioners of the Mantua Fire District #1.1% is open space tax.
Tightening the belt on property taxes, and maintaining exceptional services at the township level have always been paramount for this township committee. As a 32-year Mantua tax payer myself, I can assure you that we will continue to fight the economic headwinds by adopting budgetary constraints that are within our control at the municipal level.
This Saturday, April 6 at Chestnut Branch Park is the 3rd Annual Casey Power Memorial 5k Run and Walk. Registration begins at 8:00 am. This event is to honor Casey Power and to raise awareness for victims of domestic violence. Please join our community as we support the Casey Power Foundation and Casey’s family who are good friends and longtime Mantua residents.
At our Monday, April 8 township committee meeting, we anticipate the adoption of an ordinance change that will make it permissible to have chickens on residential lots of one acre or more throughout our community. The minimum setback requirement will be 30 feet from property lines, and chickens will not be permitted to be kept in a front yard.
As part of this code amendment, chickens are being removed from the definition of “livestock” where they were previously only permitted on farmland of five acres or more like other farm animals.
The township committee feels that this change significantly softens the rules by allowing residents to raise chickens in areas of the community other than designated farm land. For those residents not meeting the one acre minimum requirement for chickens, an option to consider is applying for a zoning variance. As part of this process, any neighbors living within 200 feet must be notified in accordance with law. This ensures that neighbors in close proximity are given advance notice of the potential for chickens to be nearby.
The official kick-off to celebrate Chestnut Branch Park becoming dog friendly is on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. until noon inside the park facility. Mantua residents are invited to join us with their fur babies for the Pups in the Park dog parade and other activities. Registration for the parade is from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and the parade begins at 10 a.m. Special guests to include MTPD’s K-9 Unit, Daminger’s Natural Pet Foods, Earthwise Pet Supply, and resident, Emily Cooney who holds the title of “Miss Avalon.”
April is Autism Awareness Month. Please join our township committee as we help to spread awareness and make our community a more inclusive place for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Upcoming Township Meetings and Events:
- Opening Day for Mantua Little League and Sewell Raildogs Baseball / Softball is this Saturday, April 6. Raildogs have a 9 a.m. parade followed by a 9:30 a.m. opening day ceremony. Mantua Little League has its first pitch for opening day at 10 a.m.
- Township Committee Meeting is Monday, April 8 at 6 p.m.
- Shredding Event is Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Municipal Building Complex. This is for Gloucester County residents only.
- VFW Community Awards Ceremony is Saturday, April 27 at 6 p.m. at the VFW Post 7679 on Main Street.
On behalf of Deputy Mayor Pete Scirrotto, myself and the entire Township Committee – we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.
Respectfully,
Mayor Robert T. Zimmerman, MAS
